Replacing the the steering wheel led to an airbag light blinking...HELP!!!

[speedunit5]

Ok so I found a leather wrapped Mazda5 steering wheel n swapped it in my Sport5, however now the air bag is blinking, once long, and 9 more times fast...I duno what could of went wrong... n what does this flashing sequence mean???

 

[dieseldriver]

It probably means the main computer sees an airbag malfunction because it no longer sees it. Unless you know how to fool the computer making it think there's an airbag on the new steering wheel but really isn't, I would put it back as it was originally. Otherwise, you'd probably will see the light from here on, and even may fail inspection because of it.

Ok so I found a leather wrapped Mazda5 steering wheel n swapped it in my Sport5, however now the air bag is blinking, once long, and 9 more times fast...I duno what could of went wrong... n what does this flashing sequence mean???

 

[MarkVII88]

To avoid this same problem, I put on a "Wheelskins" leather steering wheel wrap in my 2012 Mazda5 Sport. It really makes quite a difference in the feel of the steering wheel and this is a good, high-quality product that I have installed on several previous vehicles. They cost about $65 including shipping. Installation can be a bit time-consuming as you must lace it up and make sure you don't miss any holes, but it's worth it!

 

[ukulele]

I never liked the Wheelskins, they look too aftermarket for my taste, I'm the type I'd rather have either the OEM plastic or OEM leather, call me cynical if you want, everyone else does. As far as the airbag light, far as I know all new cars come with airbags so it's not a question of if it detects one or not but maybe it's detecting the "wrong one." Because of accident investigations and stuff, maybe airbags are programmed specifically for each vehicle. If an airbag doesn't deploy in a head-on collision and it was tampered with, it makes it harder for the owner/driver to sue in court since they screwed with the airbag, is my guess.

Unless the dude just didn't plug it back it correctly, or, there could also be an extra pin or two on the connector specific to that trim?? So in other words, if you were to replace a sport trim airbag with another sport trim airbag, it won't malfunction, but if you cross trim levels, it will. I dunno, I think a Wheelskins would be a really good idea right about now.

 

[Maxx Mazda]

You MUST disconnect the battery when you connect or disconnect anything to do with the airbag system. The SRS module must now be reset.

 

[MarkVII88]

I know what you mean about the somewhat aftermarket look of the Wheelskins on the steering wheel. But you certainly can't argue with the fact that the extra grip from the leather and extra steering-wheel thickness after installing the Wheelskins is a plus in terms of the feel. I'd love to have had the OEM leather steering wheel if it was a standalone option but I wasn't willing to spend the extra on a trim-level upgrade for things I don't really need. I might have shelled-out for the Mazda 5 Touring trim level if it meant a 6-speed auto or an upgraded engine option.